Vol. 12, Special Issue 10 (2023)

Author(s):
Jigyasa Verma, RK Naik, Kanhaiya Lal and Geeta Patel

Abstract:
The rice-wheat cropping system is a globally widespread practice for cultivating cereal crops. In Chhattisgarh, most of the farmers belong to small land holding capacity. Weed infestation and non–decomposition of the straw were the topmost problems faced by them. In Chhattisgarh, where paddy cultivation is a primary agricultural activity, the introduction of super seeders has the potential to revolutionize traditional farming practices. Various farm machines were used in this experiment to focus on crop residue management within this rice-wheat cropping system., including the super seeder (T₁), happy seeder (T₂), mulcher + zero till drill (T₃), and field harvested by reaper + super seeder (T₄). Machine parameters like fuel consumption, speed of operation, field efficiency and field capacity; crop parameters like crop yield, wheat germination percentage; and residue parameter like length straw and weight of straw were considered for the feasibility study. Because two machines are used in the T3 treatment, fuel consumption is higher compared to the other treatments. The highest effective tillers per square metre, and 1000 grain weight were obtained in T₁ i.e. (372 tillers/ m²), and (46.80 g) respectively. In terms of yield, the highest grain yield, at 5.62 tons per hectare, was achieved with reaper + super seeder, followed by T₁>T₃>T₂. Super seeder proved to be the most cost-effective straw management machine for post-rice harvest operations, with cost of operation rankings as follows: super seeder > T₃ > T₂ > T₄.